Roots of the Republic: American Founding Documents InterpretedRoots of the Republic shows how the Constitution was a product, not simply of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, but of a legal and philosophical tradition almost two centuries old. The editors have selected eighteen key documents in the development of that tradition and reproduced them with essays that explain what they mean, why they were written, and why they are important today. Each key document is accompanied by an interpretive essay written by a contemporary scholar. These essays focus on the importance of each frame of government and include commentaries on why they are meaningful today. Intended to help readers learn how to read and understand these documents, the book is also a handy reference and a strong introduction to the development of political thought and the debates surrounding the formation of the state governments and the federal union. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Mayflower Compact 1620 | 17 |
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639 | 24 |
The Ten Farms Covenant 1665 | 36 |
The New York Charter of Liberties 1683 and 1691 | 47 |
The New York City Charter 1686 | 83 |
The Albany Plan of Union 1754 | 106 |
John Adamss Thoughts on Government 1776 | 118 |
The Articles of Confederation 1781 | 227 |
The Northwest Ordinance 1787 | 249 |
The United States Constitution 1787 | 266 |
The Federalist on Federalism 17871788 | 291 |
The Federalist on Energetic Government 17871788 | 335 |
Antifederalist Essays and Speeches 17871788 | 381 |
The Bill of Rights 1791 | 423 |
Thomas Jeffersons Letter to Roger D Weightman 1826 | 441 |
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